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Samsung Is Going To Include An Ai Assistant In Its Next Phone

Taking a look back at another week of news from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes the impossibly thin iPhone 7 design, the potential of a new iPhone Pro with dual camera lens support, Apple's latest patents for magnetic headphones and flexible circuits, the failure of Connect to evolve, a look at Apple's Campus 2 construction, the earthquake that nearly stopped the iPhone 7, and why your snoozed alarm defaults to nine minutes.

Jony Ive's stylish focus on thin could be having a negative impact on the iPhone 7. Reports from the supply chain suggest that the new handset will have a thickness of 6.3 millimeters... one millimeter less than the iPhone 6S. That's great for the fashionistas, but not great if you are looking for something useful... like a battery. That's not the only thing missing from the leaks, as Forbes' Amit Chowdhry reports:

Previously, there were rumors that the iPhone 7 was going to be waterproof. Mac Otakara’s sources claim that this is not true. This is a disappointment because the Galaxy S7 is IP68 dust-proof and water resistant so the upcoming Apple flagship smartphone device will be less durable than the new Samsung flagship. This means Samsung may be able to retain or gain a customer base that prefers rugged devices.

...the new flagship iPhone due for release in September. We’re all expecting this to be called the iPhone 7. But the loss of the dating numbers in the iPhone SE, the naming convention employed on the iPad, and Tim Cooks apparent drive to simplify the portfolio and marketing could point to another name.

I would not be surprised to see the next iPhone get something just as simple, clean, and functional as the rest of the updated portfolio. Apple should hand its next smartphone a clean name that can stand alongside the iPad, the iPad Pro, and the iPhone SE.

Can Apple's marketing team launch an iPhone Pro and keep the focus on the rest of the portfolio?

Consequently the three iPhone 7 models will be the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus and a new and even more premium model based around (already huge) Plus which some are dubbing the ‘iPhone 7 Pro’. What’s the difference between the Pro (I’ll go with the name for now) and the Plus? A groundbreaking camera. In fact, I should say groundbreaking ‘cameras’ because Kuo says the iPhone 7 Pro will use a dual-lens camera system created by LinX, an imaging specialist Apple purchased in 2015.

...So why is Apple doing it? It must think either a) LinX technology is so impressive customers need to see it and be blown away, or b) it will cover for limitations in Apple’s standard camera technology which fell behind Samsung’s Galaxy S6, especially as the gap is about to widen further with the Galaxy S7.

Samsung's imaging advantage is going to be a vital weapon for the South Korean company, and with the launch of the Gear360 camera it's going to extend that lead over Apple, especially if the Galaxy S7 family can easily defeat the iPhone 7 family in a straight shoot-out. So why not have a 'special team' camera phone? Is maintaining an air of superiority with the fragmentation of the iPhone line?

The latest round of patents issued to Apple point to some interesting potential hardware choices for future devices. With the likely removal of the 3.5mm stereo headphone socket, the patent for a 'detachable wireless listening device' could be something seen by consumers. A pocketable bluetooth receiver is connected to Apple earbuds, with a magnetic breakaway connection in the cable. Mikey Campbell for Apple Insider:

Crucial to Apple's invention is a magnetic attachment mechanism that connects the listening device (earbuds and accompanying cable) to the host cord for battery recharging and wired audio signal transmission. When the earbud-side cord becomes detached, the system can be programmed to detect the state change, automatically pause the charging process and activate wireless communications. The ability to free one's headphones from a bulky host device provides a host of benefits, not the least of which being freedom to move without fear of getting wrapped up in wires.

Meanwhile, I took the time to look over Apple's patent for flexible screens and circuitry and screens. We might not see a curved iPhone, but these changes offer something even more important... protection and ruggedness:

I could see Apple switching to ‘flexible’ circuitry and screen technology before that point, even if there is no curve in the iPhone design. As technology gets smaller, the ability to absorb impact damage is reduced. As a great many people are quoted as saying, ‘it’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the bottom that does the damage.’ By working flexible circuits and screens into the iPhone, the stress of an impact no longer needs to be focused through a fixed point into unyielding element. Wear and tear Incidents like #bendgate would likely be reduced as well.